Improvement in pelting-machines



@uitrit gta-,tra gatent @ffii-e.

W. J. BENEDICT AND JOHN WYLIE, `OF SOUTH NORWALK, CONNECTICUT.

.Letters Pate-nt No. 81,244, dated `August 18, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN FELTING-MAGHINES.

TO ALL WHOM'IT MAY GONCERN:

Be it known that we, W. J. BENEDICT and JOHN WILIE, of South Norwalk, inthe county of Fairfield, and State` o-Connecticut, have invented a newand improved Hat-Felting and Napping Machine; and we do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,which will enable those skilled in the art to lI x'i'akc and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in vhichv Figure 1 is a side view of our improvedmachine. Figure 2 is a front view ofthe same.` Figure 3 isl asection,taken through the line :e :z: of fig. 2. Figure 4 is a detail sectionofthe looped cloth and the sheeting-clotlis on the b'ox and apron. lFigui-e5 is a detail view ofthe elastic roller. i i l vSimilar lettersof reference indicate corresponding parts.

I The nature of this invention relates to the felting of hats, andconsists in the mechanism-asset forth in the following. y

In the accompanying plate lof drawings' the frame of' thexmachne isshown to consist of the'uprights B, rcstingupon and forming part of thebase-frame A A A A, as shown.

The-simplest form of our invention only. is shown, but the sam'eprinciple thereof may be employed in the multiplication of the partsclaimed in the invention, as .will be hereinafter set forth.

L is a box or hollow bed, of wood, iron, or other suitable' material,made suiiiciently tight to holdhsteam, and grooved to work up and downbetween the uprights B. i

A guide, a, on each upright tits' on the grooves of the box L.

The crank-shaft D, with the crank'E and connecting-rod F, serves togiv'e the box L a vertical motion on the guides 'u a.

Oand Gore the ly-wheel and crunk, for obvious purposes.

The sides of the box L are plano surfaces, and a plate, M, is held in acontiguous and nearly parallel position to the sideof the box by meansof the pivoted racks J J, theiteeth of which catch upon pinsf upon thesides of the plate.

The lower part of the said'platc is supported by nuts h, which slide onthc rods nn, which latter are affixed to the post uprights B B, asshown. y

The pins o from the;plate pass through the nuts fr, and project beyond,thereby-serving as a point for the springs z', (alii-xed to theuprights,) to exert their tcnsionagainst, and thereby throw the lowerend of 'the plate from the box-L, when the screw K, which works in thenut g, is turned for that purpose.

The upper part of the plate is-adjusted by the racks J J, as aforesaid,the latter being held by the staples l, or other-equivalent means. i

Springs I serve to actuate the racks down upon the pinsf.

Between 'the plate and the bed a fold of cloth, H,or its equivalent,hangs on a bight or loop,l as shown.

This cloth is affixed lto the upper part of the box, and down in contactywith its side and up in contact with the plate, and over the top of'the latter terminates in a rod, which catches under books CZ d, on theplate,

as shown.

By this rod and the said hooks, the length of the loop or bight can.bequickly adjusted lto the different lengths required in the feltingprocess. l I

A steam-pipe, m, enters the box through 1the 4stuing-box n, and keepsthe box supplied with the requisite steam. This pipe connects with anysuitable steam-generator. l

In order to prevent the cloth-bight or loop from slipping on theproximate surfaces of the plate or box during `the upward motion ofthelatter, the proximate surfaces of both 1the plateand box are sheathed orfaced with any suitable textile material, pp, or provided with asutably-roughened surface, or coated with sand, or

other asperities, for the purpose of causing the part ol' the loop tohug the said surfaces, and not slip thereon during the motion of the boxL. i

The bats are rolled upon a roller, in the usual mannelgaud placed withinthe loop, and the box is moved up and down, lwhereby the bight or loopof the cloth rolls the bundle of hat-cones lc in a manner very analogousto the hand-rolling, as practised with fur and other hats oi"finerquality.

The adjustment of the plate during the process will be understood bythose skilled in the art of fclting hats,

and requires no description here.

This machinemay be used in felting common woollen hat-cones, as well asthose of fur and the finer qualities of Wool hats, but in order to moreperfectly simulate the'operation of felting by hand, we employ a hollowroller of'soft rubber, as shown at iig. 5, which, by its elasticity,eonduees in a considerable degree to the perfect and thorough felting oftbe cones.

The sides of the box may be perforated, to emitjcts' of steam upon thecloth, H, and its contents.

Innapping, apipe for hot water may be located to discharge into theloopand its contents from above the same'when'the machine is to be usedin napping, so called, which process being analogous to the feltingprocess so far as pertains to the motion of/the box and cloth, H, needsno further description here.

In practice, a plate, similar to the one shown, may be placed on theopposite side ofthe bar L, and provided t with a bight of cloth, aspreviously shownfand described, whereby one box is made to operate twobights at the same time.

Another modification contemplated, is to make the box with three or morevertical sides of equal dimensions, and tcv provide a correspondingnumber of plates and hights `of cloth, each to operate as abovedescribed.

Thus, bythe use of a pendent bight of cloth, or its. cquivalent,pand therubbing-surfaces, we imitate' the operation of the human hand in feltingfur hats, and accomplish the felting of the same in a superior and rapidmanner.

We claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patentp 1. In ahat-felting and napping machine, the combination of the reciprocatingsteam-box L, the bight or loop of cloth H, roller K, and adjustableplate M, substantially as described for the purpose specified.

2. The racks J J, box' L, and bight or loop of cloth H, constructed andarranged substantially as set forth,

and for the purpose specified.

3. The arrangement of the shaft D, crank E, rod F, box L, uprights B,and looped cloth H, all substantially as and for the purpose shown anddescribed.

4. The aerea' K, in combination with the plate M and looped cloth H,arranged substantially as shown for the purpose set forth. p

The above specification of our invention signed by us, this 8th day ofFebruary.

W. J. BENEDICT, JOHN WYLIE.

Witnesses:

WM. F. MeNAMARA, ALEX. F. ROBERTS.

